Excavator.



PATBNTBD JAN. ,6, 190s.

W. EL FULGHER.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 9, 1902.

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PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

W. H. FULCHER.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED PIL 9 mea.

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vPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I-I. FULCI-IER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HERMAN MURPHY, OF S AN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,835, dated January 6, 1903. Application iiled April 9, 1902. Serial No. 101,976. (No model.)

T all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FULCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Excavators; and I hereby declare the following to be afull,ciear, and exact description ofthe same. My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed for excavating xo earth, so as to form canals or ditches, andl to transfer said earth from the channel and deposit it upon either side thereof.

It consists of an apparatus so mounted that the bearing portion may travel upon the surr 5 face adjacent to the excavation to be made,

while the excavating-mechanism is adjust. ably supported so thatit may be lowered and set to any desired depth, said mechanism being so constructed as to consecutively loosen zo and take up the earth, carry it out upon such an angle of inclination as will produce the proper slope to the sides ot the channel.

It also comprises mechanism for opening the buckets when they reach the point of discharge and means for insuring the discharge of the material from the buckets.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more vfully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in 3o which- Figure l is an elevation showing a side view of the lateral extension and excavators. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view ot anopen bucket and guide-odset at outer end. Fig. 3 is a rear view of bucket with hangers, latch, and disengaging device. Fig. shows method ot enlarging ditch by successive cuts. Fig. 5 is a plan View of theapparatus. Figli is an en larged section of shaft-journal box and bot- Fig. 7' is a-section showing ball-bearing. Fig. 8 is an enlarged'detail of one of the buckets and its attachments.

It is the object of this invention to produce an apparatus which may be moved over the surface in advance ot the excavation and in line thereof, whilevthe operative mechanism is so adjusted as to cut a channel one-half the proposed width and to form the slope of one side of this half. 5o returned upon the opposite side and the other The machine can be half be completed in like manner during its return.

As here shown, the machine consists of a vertical frame A and a horizontal frame B, the latter -forming a support for the former and being mounted' upon suitable revoluble balls or casters which are adapted to roll upon the surface of the groundin the direction in which the excavation is to be made, and also by reason of their construction to 6o allow the machine to be swung from side to side or turned around when desired.

Any suitable arrangement of caster-wheels orv balls may be employed. In thepre'sent structure I have shown theapparatus as being borne upon large balls 42, fitting in sockets 45, and resting upon smaller balls 43 withinthe sockets, so as to have freedom of motion. Exterior to and below these sockets are small Wheels or rollers 44, contacting with 7o the ball below its largest diameter, and thus serving to prevent its falling out of its socket.

I have here shown four of these bearers.

Across the front of the machine is journaled a shaft 40, having upon it windingdrums al, and this shaft is driven by a bevelgearing at 39 and sprocket Wheel and chain connections witha main shaft 36, driven from,

the engine, which is carriedupon the frame, as represented at 35. When this portion of 8o the apparatus is thrown into gear, the winding-dru ms actingupon the chains, the other ends of which are anchored, will advance the apparatus as much as may be desired.'

The apparatus is designed to be advanced a distance approximately equal to the Width of the bucket or buckets when the latter are above the surface of the ground, and they are afterward depressed as the excavation goes on untilvthe lowest desired point has been 9o reached, when they may be again raised and another advance made.

If it is desired to swing the apparatus from one side to the other, it may be eected by chains or ropes coiled upon a drum 38, eX-

tending transversely outward from the frame, having the outer ends anchored. This drum is mounted upon a shaft, and by means of suitable gearing and clutch mechanism, as at 36, power may also be transmitted to it from 10o the driving-shaft 36, so that by reason of the ball or caster-wheel bearings if it is desired to swing the front of the frame from side to side it can be done by this mechanism.

The mechanism upon which the excavating apparatus is carried is located at the rear of the frame B and extends transversely outward to one side, so that a plan view of the apparatus represents an L. It will be seen, therefore, that the swinging of the front of the machine to one side or the other will correspondingly move this L projection and the cutters transversely of their line of travel and enable them to sweep over a certain width greater than their own.

Upon the frame A are mounted the screws 4, which pass through suitable guides, as 46, these guides maintaining them in vertical alinemen t. They also pass through the bevelgears 32, which are turnable upon the frame and which carry with them interior nuts engaging the threads of the screws. These 1 gears are revolved in unison by pinious 31,

mounted upon the horizontal shafts 30 and engaging the bevel-gears.v Power to revolve the shafts 30 is transmitted from the engineshaft 33 through a sprocket or gear wheel, as 34, to the shaft 12, located just below the shaft. 33. This shaft has upon it a sprocketwheel 24, and by a driving-chain power is transmitted to the sprocket 26 on one of the shafts 30. 27 27 are other sprocket-wheels in line with each other upon the shafts 30, and by means of a chain 2b' power is transmitted between the two. Thus all ot' the gears 32 and the nuts carried by them are revoluble in unison, and the screws 4 will be advanced up or down simultaneously. At the bottom these screws connect with castings which serve as journal-boxes for the shafts 5b, and these shafts carry the sprocketwheels 5, around which pass the drivingchains S, through which power is transmitted to carry the excavating buckets and plows 10` and 53. As these shafts are revolved close to and in the dirt to be excavated,l have shown soft packing, as at 5d, held in place by elastic rings, as 5f, and at the end of the box by a follower, as 5C, Fig. 6. This packing serves to keep dirt out of the lubricated portion of the journal and box and to reduce wear ou these parts.

The frame which forms the side extension of the L consists of sufficiently strong timbers, as 2, which may be clamped or otherwise secured to the transverse timbers at the base of the portion A of the frame. These timbers extend out approximately horizontal from the main frame, and the outer ends may be supported by tension-rods, as a, extending up to the top of the frame A. Across the -outer ends of thev timbers 2 a shaft 15 is journaled, having upon its outer ends sprocketwheels 14.

Parallel with and exterior to the shaft 15 is another shaft carrying sprocket-wheels 16 in line with and of smaller' diameter than 14.

Upon the shaft 12 of the main frame are corresponding sprocket-wheels 11, in line with 14 and 16, and chains 13 pass around these sprocket-wheels. By reason of the greater diameter of the sprocket-wheel 14 sufficient pressure of the chain is brought upon this wheel to turn it, or, if not adjustable, the chain may sim ply pass around these sprockets and the sprocket 16 be omitted.

' 17 represents a tension-roller journaled upon the end of a fulcrumed arm and held in constant contact with the chain by means of a weighted rope or chain passing over a pulley, and this maintains the proper tension of the chain 13.

3 and 9 are timbers extending horizontally between the bearings at the bottom of the screws 4, and from the outermost of these bearings these timbers incline upwardly and outwardly to the point where the shaft 15 is journaled, as shown plainly in Figs. 1 and 2. The timber 3 lies centrally above the buckets 10. The timbers 9 are separated and form guides or rails upon which the wheels or rollers 46 of the buckets travel. The buckets 10 have their front ends suspended from the chains S by-connecting-links 48. The rollers 46 are journaled in the upper ends of bars 47, which extend downwardly, and are secured tothe backs of the buckets 10, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The bottom 10u of the bucket has a latch portion 10b, and this is engaged by a projection 51 on the bottom of an arm 49, which is pivoted to the rear ofthe bucket, as shown at 50. When the latch 51 engages with the projection 10b, the bottom of the bucket is held closed and remains in this condition until it reaches a point just previous to where the chains 8 commence to pass around the sprocket-wheels 6, when the leverarm 49 Awill contact with a transversely-inclined lug 3, xed to the upper end of the timber 3, so that it will tilt the lever, disengage the latch, and allow the bottom of the bucket to open. At the same time the rollers 46 travel over an inclination and offset at 9, carried upon the timbers 9,and as they drop off the upper end of the ofset the bucket is given a shock, which tends to disengage and shake out any earth which may stick in it. An instant later the rollers pass over the ends of the guides 9, which are offset for this purpose, as at 9", and the bucket drops, so as to be suspended by the chain, just before the chains pass around the sprocket-wheel 6. The bottom of the bucket will close by gravitation, and the latch 5l, being actuated by a spring, as at 52, will engage and hold it closed after passing around the sprocket. When the chain and bucket have passed from the sprocket 6, they pass from thence over the sprockets 7, carried by the horizontally-journaled shaft 7C. This shaft is connected by links 7a with the shaft 15, and it and the sprocket-wheels are supported upon heavy springs 7b, which allow the parts to yield and adapt themselves to the tension of the chain 8, as in case of IOO IIO

zontal bottom of half of the ditch, while the inclination at which the buckets travel from this point tothe outer end will form the slope at one side of the ditch. Each bucket has fixed to it at suitable points the curved excavating-plows 53, which extend below the bottom of the buckets, so that each set of plows carried by one of the buckets loosens andy breaks up the earth beneath the vbucket and leaves it in readiness to be taken up by the following bucket, the plows and buckets thus acting in unison. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these plows are carried slightly behind the rear of the bucket; but in Fig. S I have shown them as suspended directly beneath the bucket with the front ends projecting slightly forward of the mouth of the bucket.

The operation of the apparatus will then be as follows: The screws 4 are rst turned up through the actuating-nuts until the timbers 3 and 9 are above the level of the groundsurface, if the work is to be commenced from that level, and the plows, buckets, and driving-chains are raised with them. In doing this it will be seen that the frame carrying the shaft 15 and connected parts must move outwardly upon the timbers 2. This will be more fully described hereinafter. When' in the proper position, the front portion of the machine being supported uponl -the groundsurface, the screws may be turned so as to bring the buckets and plows into proper relation with the surface upon which they are to work, and the machinery being properly coupled up power is transmitted from the engine through the driving-shafts 33 and 12, and by means of the sprockets 11 14 and chains 13 power is transmitted to the shaft 15 at the outer end of the extension.l 'lhence by means of the sprockets 6, chains 5, and chains 8 power is transmitted to cause the buckets to travel over the surface, excavating the ground and carrying it to the outer end of the extension, where the buckets are opened, as previously described, to successively discharge their loads. If desired, an endless traveling carrier 23 may be so located with relation to the point of discharge that it will receive the contents of the buckets as they are delivered. Power is transmitted from the shaft 15 by a chain 18, passing around the sprocket-wheel on that shaft to a sprocket 21 on a short horizontal shaft, from which power is transmitted throughthe bevelgears 2l to drive the carrier.

It will be seen that the mechanism carrying the shaft 15 and the connected parts must be movable upon the timbers 2 in order to allow the timbers 3 and 9 to be brought into near parallelism with 2 when the excavators commence working on the surface and togradually allow the excavators'to be depressed by the action of the screws 4 as the excavation increases in depth. I have shown, therefore, a supplemental frame having journaled rollers 19, connected by links,as 1S, so that two of the rollers 19 travel upon the top of the timbers 2 and the third roller travels beneath the timber, thus allowing for any extension or contraction which may be required.

As the shaft 16 is journaled in a fixed position upon the timbers 2, there will be no lengthening or .shortening of the drivingchains 13, which pass over the sprockets 14, as previously described; but these sprockets, with the connected parts, are movable between the upper and lower parts of the chains 13, so as to approach or recede from the main driving-shaft 12 without interfering with the constant engagement with the chain 13.

The form of device shown in Fig. 8 maybe employed for cleaving weeds and like obstructions from finished ditches. In this construction the arms 55 have a blade, as 55, extending across, and this cuts and tears out the obstructions. The bottom may also be removed from the bucket, so that the disengaged mass will be carried out by the travel of the apparatus.

In order to clear the earth away from the line'of travel of the screws 4c when sinking into the earth, I have shown downwardlyprojecting beveled cutters 4a, which are lo-4 cated above the line of travel of the excavators, and as the latter move down these cutters shear od the vertical wall, so as to clear the screws. A

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An excavating-machine, consisting of aV portable framework upon which the mechanism is carried, means for advancing it in the line of the proposed excavation, a transverse extension from one side of the frame, an endless chain with excavating mechanism carried thereby, guides for said excavating mechanism having one end rncvably supported from the outerl end of the transverse extension, and mechanism by which the innerend of said guides and the chain-sprockets may be raised or depressed.

2. An excavating apparatus consisting'of a main frame and revoluble bearers by which it is supported and movable uponthe surface, a transverse extension to one side of said frame, a supplemental frame movable upon the outer end of said extension carrying a shaft and sprocket wheels through which power is transmitted, endless traveling chains passing around sprockets upon said frame and other sprockets located in line beneath the main frame, guide -tiinbers connecting said latter sprockets with the outer movable frame, and vertically-guided screws, amech- ICO IIO

anism by which they are moved up and down whereby the inner end of the excavating mechanism may be raised or depressed.

3. In aland-excavatingmachine,thecombination with a main frame of a lateral extension, a supplemental frame movable upon the outer end of said extension, a shaft journaled upon said movable frame having sprockets around which the chains pass which carry the excavating-buckets, vertically guided and movable screws extending downwardly from the main frame, sprockets, the shafts of which are jou rnaled at the bases of said screws, and around which the bucket-carrying chains pass at their inner ends, rigid guide and distance regulating timbers connecting the base of the screws with the movable frame upon the outer end of the extension whereby the inner end of the excavator may be raised or lowered and the tension of the carrying-chains maintained.

4. Inaland-excavatingmachine, thecombination of a main frame, a lateral projecting extension, a supplemental frame movable upon said extension, a-shaft journaled upon the supplemental frame,sprockets xed thereto around which the endless excavator-carrying chains pass, sprockets through which power is transmitted to said shaft, an independent shaft carrying sprockets and journaled upon the outer end of the lateral extension, driving-chains extending from sprock-V ets on the power-shaft upon the main frame,

over the sprockets on the supplemental movable frame and thence around the sprockets on the outer fixedly-journaled shaft whereby power is transmitted to the mechanism on the movable frame while the latter is adjustable to or from the main frame.

5. In a land-excavating machine, a main frame having a lateral extension at one side, bearers upon which said frame may be intermittently advanced in the line of proposed excavation, transversely-movable excavating devices and chains by which they are carried, vertically guided and movable screws extending downwardly from the main frame, sprocket-wheel shafts journaled atr the lower ends of said screws, a supplemental frame slidable upon the outer end of the lateral extension, guide and distance timbers connecting the lower end of the screws with the slidable frame whereby the latter is gradually moved inwardly as the screws are turned to depress the inner end of the excavator, sprocket-carrying shafts journaled upon said movable frame around which the excavator-carrying chains pass, a shaft journaled upon the lateral extension exterior to the slidable frame having sprocket-wheels upon it, sprocket-wheels upon the driving-shaft of the movable frame above and below which the two parts of the driving-chains pass between the aforesaid outer sprockets, and the sprockets on the power-shaft journaled upon the main frame.

6. In a land-excavating machine, a main frame mounted upon revoluble bearers and means by which it is movable, a lateral extension at one side of said frame, excavatingbuckets and endless chains passing around sprocket-wheels, the shaft of which is movably carried upon the outer end of the extension, vertically guided and movable screws upon the main frame, sprocket-wheels, the shafts of which are journaled in boxes at the lower ends of the screws whereby the turning of the screws will cause said sprockets to sink, carrying with them the excavatingbuckets to form one-half the bottom and one inclined side of the ditch, and guide and distance timbers connecting the lower ends of the screws with the movably-journaled shaft at the outer end of the lateral extension, whereby the downward movement of the inner end of the excavator is made in unison with an inward movement of the Vouter sprockets and shaft, and the tension of the excavator-carrying chain is maintained.

7. Ina land-excavating machine, a main frame having a lateral extension at one side, asupplemental frame movable upon the outer end of said extension, having sprocket-carrying shafts journaled thereon, a motor and power-shafts and sprockets carried upon the main frame, a shaft journaled upon the outer end of the extension having sprockets inline with the power-shaft sprockets of the main frame, sprockets of larger diameter fixed to a shaft journaled upon the supplemental movable frame and in line with, the aforesaid sprockets, whereby the chains therefrom passing above and below said larger sprockets transmit power to drive their shaft, other sprockets carried upon said shaft around which the outer ends of the excavator-carrying chains pass, vertically guided and movable screws upon the main frame at the lower ends of which sprocket-carrying shafts are journaled, around which sprockets the inner ends of the excavator-chains pass whereby a vertical movement of the inner end of the excavator may be effected, and a lateral movement of the supplemental slidable frame withoutderanging the transmission of power from the main power-shaft.

8. In a land-excavating machine, the main traveling frame having a lateral extension at one side, a supplemental frame movable upon said extension having bearing-rollers adapted to travel upon the extension-timbers, other rollers contacting with the lower surface of said timbers intermediate between the bea'ring-rollers and links connecting the shafts from said bearing-rollers with those of the centrally-disposed rollers.

9. In a land-excavating machine, a main frame, a lateral extension, a supplemental frame movable upon the outer end of said extension, vertically guided and movable screws carried upon the main frame and means by which they may be raised or depressed, journal-boxes and shafts turnable therein at the lower ends of said screws, sprockets upon said shafts around which the IOO inner ends of the excavator-carrying chainsY pass and packing devices surrounding the 1 shafts in the journal-boxes to prevent the adframe, endless traveling chains through which power is transmitted to revolve said shafts, excavator carrying chains passing around the sprockets at the lower end of the screws, and corresponding sprockets upon the shaft of the supplemental frame, buckets having rollers by which they are supported upon the inclined guide-timbers, hinged bottoms to said buckets and a mechanism by which said bottoms are opened when the bucket-s arrive at the upper end of their travel.

11. A land-excavating machine having the main frame and lateral extension, diagonal or inclined guide-timbers vertically-movable screws with which the inner ends of said timbers are connected, a supplemental frame movable upon the outer end of the lateral extension and asprocketshaft journaled thereon, endless chains passing around said sprocket and other sprockets at the bottom of the screws, means for driving said chains, buckets with hinged bottoms and having their front ends connected with said chains and rollers journaled to arms fixed to the rear ends of the buckets, said rollers traveling upon the inclined guide-timbers, a mechanism by which the bottom doors of the buckets are automatically opened at a given point to discharge the contents and offsets on the guide-timbers over which the rollers pass and drop whereby a shock is given to discharge the contents.

12. A land-excavating machine consisting of a main frame and a lateral extension, a supplemental diagonally-disposed frame, a device by which the outer end of the supplemental frame is slidably supported from the lateral extension, mechanism by which the inner end is vertically movable in unison with the horizontal movement of `the louter end, and an endless traveling excavating apparatus carried upon said supplemental frame.

13. A land-excavating machine consistingr of a main frame, a lateralextension, a supplemental diagonal frame having the outer end slidably supported on the lateral extension, and mechanism by which the inner end is vertically movable,endless traveling chains and excavators carried thereby upon the supplemental frame, a motor carried upon the main frame, and connections whereby power is transmitted through the movable supplemental frame to drive excavator-chains.

14. A land-excavator consisting of a main frame, a lateral extension, a supplemental frame adjustable with relation thereto and provided with endless traveling chains and excavators, screws guided and vertically movable with relation to themain frame, whereby the inner end of the supplemental frame is vertically moved, and cutters carried at the bottom, and in line with the screws whereby a path is cleared for their advance.

15. A land-excavator consisting of a main frame, lateral extension and a supplemental frame adjustable with relation thereto and carrying chains and excavating devices, said devices consisting of open-bottom buckets suspended from the chains,`pointed arms iixed and extending beneath the buckets andtransverse knives extending across the arms from side to side. v.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 

